Delusional Daydream
by Meibou
Summary: The Hyuuga were supposed to guard the gateway to the Cursed. She didn’t know that, and wasn’t aware of the consequences of venturing past the physical boundaries. Now, she too is cursed, and condemned by fate. Hinata x Gaara, some Sasuke later. AU.
1. Chapter 1

Summary: The Hyuuga were supposed to guard the gateway to the cursed. She didn't know that, and definitely wasn't aware of the consequences of venturing past the physical boundaries. Now, she too is cursed, and condemned by fate.

Warnings: Darkish. PG-13.

Pairings: Hinata x Gaara/Sasuke/etc.

_A preview, and as inspiration to jump start to my writing. My school year is almost done, and I dedicate this story to my close friend, who has really helped me through the year, Kenshin's lover 101, and my faithful reviewers, especially those who go even further and message me! Though I've been a little lax on checking my emails recently._

**Delusional Daydream**

This certainly wasn't the welcome he expected.

The breeze was crisp, warm for November. Dead brown leaves were blown about, eventually settling in corners of the unkempt garden in the center of the large traditional style house. The pond was clogged, the flowers and ornamental grasses dead, and the bushes growing wild. This place was empty, and had been for several months.

Where are they?

He started his search indoors. Everything was still in place, and the only sign of vacancy was the thin sheen of dust. Opening the door to each room and searching for it before closing it and continuing on, he stopped when he finally came upon a locked door. He blinked, wondering about the significance of the door before slamming he shoulder against the thin wood several times. It groaned and protested, banging open and bouncing off the wall with the force he had applied.

The room was familiar, and the only disorganized area. The bed was neatly made, but it was wrinkled. Papers were scattered all over the room, and pens were strewn over the plain desk in a similar manner. The window had been left open, and the room was cold. It was a forlorn sight.

His eyes narrowed slightly.

More importantly, where is she?

His eyes caught sight of the white patch of paper taped to the wall. Frowning, he ripped it away and opened it, spreading it out as he sat down on the dusty bed. Light streamed in from the window besides him as he scanned over the words.

_April 4, Thursday._

_Neji-nii,_

_Good morning. You told me you would be on the first bus leaving campus when you got let out for break, and I know you always keep your word. _

_I'm sorry I can't be here to welcome you personally. Though if I find you, or you find me, you must tell me about what you've been doing. I haven't talked to you in so long, and you haven't written anything to me._

_Everybody is probably gone. They're getting ready to leave as I write to you. They say it's my fault- what happened yesterday that is. I've brought shame upon our family name, and now our ancestral grounds are tainted._

_I'll admit it. He frightened me a little when I first met him, when it started. But now… I suppose I can say that I've accepted the blame. He's coming. I'm not sure what he wants. But the family won't stay around long enough to find out._

_I would be worried about you too, but since the problem will be done away with when I'm gone, I won't fret. _

_I know you want me to get to the point, so here I shall._

_I'm cursed, Neji. I unleashed the unnatural._

**Here begins the tale.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Delusional Daydream**

The light seemed golden as it passed through the leaves of the maple trees. It was early afternoon. The forest seemed subdued for the moment. But the approaching figure interrupted this though. Birds flitted away, flying past to find a safer haven.

"Get back here, you weakling!"

Milky eyes shone with fear. Ducking under a low hanging branch, she continued running through the trees, pushing her way through the low branches. She eventually emerged from the tree line, into a grassy expanse. Further on were fields of wildflowers. And in the midst of those were some rocky, jutting structures- they were sandstone, or something similar because of their grainy tan color. They stood out against the blue sky. Sweat clung to her, similar to how the heady scent of green things lingered in the air.

Only the sound of panting and metal slashing the air alerted her, and she frantically whirled around, barely able to block a strike for her head with her weapon.

"How dare you?! You try to usurp me from my rightful place as head!"

"I-Immouto, please! I didn't-"

The attacker didn't look related to the first intruder of the forest, despite reality. She was thinner and more slender, and her skin was a little tanner. But the strength her form hid was brought to light as she swung the knife again, bringing it down hard. She had limp shoulder length hair, but the same wide, white eyes. They were filled with malice though. "Shut up! I hate the way you talk! You don't deserve to be the firstborn!"

She could barely bring herself to defend against the whirlwind of attacks, physically and mentally. The kunai clashed and clanged in the air, and she could only hastily block, continuing to be pushed back and try and retreat. But she felt the burn of the knife multiple times, and a particularly hard slash made her stumble back, and wince at the pain as blood seeped into her clothes.

The other snorted, stopping in her attacks. "I didn't even have to use Jyuuken," she commented viciously. She stepped back to assess her work.

There were several cuts on the elder's arms, mostly shallow. A long, bloody gash ran across her abdomen and another from shoulder to the opposite side of her chest, forcing her to wince in pain at the barest of movement. A bruise on her left cheek was from a hard punch she had thrown earlier, and had completely caught the other off guard.

"Nobody comes out this far. You won't be found, so you can just rot out here," she spat out venomously. "And if you do get home, father won't pay you attention in the slightest. And I'll really kill you if you do wander back."

"H-Hanabi-chan, I really did want you to take-" She interrupted the other with a kick to the gut, bright bolts of pain erupting over her body, and senses steadily dulling, drowned out by this torture. She was knocked into the boulders, costing her even more pain, and she collapsed against them, face down and smearing them with blood.

"I told you to shut up, Hinata!" She slammed the kunai down once more; this time, she hit right below the other's shoulder, half of the blade of the knife sinking into flesh. Panting, she stood over her for a moment longer.

"I hate you!" Hanabi screamed before running away, leaving her sinful deed behind among the flowers.

Hinata tried to smile, to let this event just… blow over. The simple shrug of her shoulder, a single breath, brought spasms of pain; she only held back her screams. She writhed against the rough rock, trying to make her body right itself and walk back to the compound. She gave a rasping laugh. "What a silly dream," she managed to say aloud, before curling up on her side, to try and ease her coughing fit. But blood dribbled over her lip, trailing down her chin and cheeks.

Pain was never so real. She opened her eyes, expecting to see blue sky.

She looked into the jade eyes of another person, rimmed in black and making her heart skip a precious beat. She couldn't look away from them though; she was full of fear. Her breath was heavy, the air filled with her pants, and she made a slight whimpering sound.

_Go away, go away. _

She forced her eyes shut and tried to move away despite the agony. But she felt herself dragged upwards. He had grabbed the front of her shirt, dangling her above the rock. Hinata didn't resist his hold.

"You'll bleed to death."

She didn't answer. It was a statement of fact, and no comment that she made would change it. She opened her eyes again, suddenly feeling impartial to the deadly, alluring gaze, and was ensnared again.

His hair was bright crimson red, the color of blood fresh from the wound. His skin was pale, pale as hers, and gave him an ethereal, untouchable air as it contrasted with his other features. On his left temple was a red tattoo, of a simple character. His intense gaze and odd eyes were what made her freeze in fear. They told of death and the blood of innocent

"Do you want revenge? For the one who turned against you?"

"N-No. I d-don't wish her… I don't want immouto to feel pain."

_Unlike me._

He watched her a little more before speaking again. "I'll give you strength. Power." His cold eyes assessed her reaction, the quick emotions and doubt that flitted through her opaque gaze.

_I don't want to be hurt any more._

"P-Please."

He persisted after her acquiescence. "Take me." His grip tightened when she took too long to answer. "Say it."

Hesitation was only present for an instant. "T-Take me," she murmured, eyes drifting shut again. The blood loss now had its full effect on her, and her sense of reality was beginning to fade away. And she only thought she felt the crushing pressure of something against her lips, something lapping up the blood inside her mouth, and stole away her precious air.

She thought she felt waves of grainy sand swarm around her, and they engulfed her in a form of blissful death.

---

It's still kind of short, sorry guys. ; Don't expect a chapter for a while. I've got tons of papers and tests, and I'm taking the Bio SAT II, and I'm going away for Memorial Day weekend.

Also, I wanted to let you guys know that I'm going to start writing another supernatural story, the one about vampires that I promised to write. I finally got the plot's general direction finalized.

Thanks for the reviews everyone! I saw a several people who have reviewed for me before, and I got all excited when I checked. And I'm glad that I got new ones as well! They're all really nice and encouraging. :D

So review more please!


	3. Chapter 3

**Delusional Daydream**

With a shuddering gasp, she jerked upwards. Panting heavily, she whipped her head around several times, trying to recollect where she was. It took her a few moments to recognize the swaying flower fields. It was afternoon, she judged by the position of the sun. She smiled, relieved. She had just gone to sleep, and her mind had conjured up some strange daydream of pain and betrayal. Hinata moved to get up, but froze.

There was blood on her clothes. Her apparel was torn too. There was every sign of a battle. But… there were no wounds, only smooth, pale flesh.

She staggered up, whirling around. Yes, this was where her sister had chased her and almost killed her. Except that the sky was a little greyer now. No… she couldn't have been out an entire day? She noticed that she was standing on a bare patch of earth in the middle of the flowers. She was in the middle of a circle made of black stone, imbedded in the earth, with the kanji for 'gate' in the middle. Hinata shivered, stepping away from it immediately. Hadn't there been some large boulders before?

But the big question that was nagging her was how she was still _alive_.

It was just too much for her. She turned, running away. Wind rushed against her, threading through her short hair and slapping her now sweaty face. Her heart beat wildly, partly because of her quick pace but also because of that fear that gripped her and tightened its grip over her mind continuously.

"Hinata-sama?" Her head whipped up, eyes meeting the gaze of another pair of white eyes. She didn't even know she had stopped. Several branch members stood before her in one of the gateways that opened into the Hyuuga grounds, shocked at her bloodied and torn clothing.

"Someone alert Hiashi-sama!"

She didn't say anything, couldn't really; she only panted and gasped for air as her heart pounded wildly in her chest. She staggered, leaning against the stone wall as they rushed to her side. Helping her stand herself up, leaning with her back against the wall as a support, one started to ask a question before stopping abruptly, her grip on Hinata's arm weakening before jerking away.

"Cursed!" the woman hissed, "with the mark of Shukaku!" The group drew back far away from her, faces now shadowed with gaunt looks of fear.

She only looked at them with daze, seeming even wearier in the shadows of late afternoon. She was still breathing harshly, even though her pulse had slowed considerably, and seemed too tired to raise her head high or even stand. As the clan members retreated, probably to tell the leader, her legs gave out, neatly folding under her. She swayed still unsteady on her knees and tried to rest at the shady base, closing her eyes. And just waited. She couldn't muster up the strength to do much else. Soon, she heard the shuffle of hurried footsteps, the whispers of voices in slight panic.

"How are you alive?!" shrieked Hanabi. Her rage hadn't dissipated, only intensified with her elder sister's presence. Hinata didn't open her eyes, her head only shifting and eyelids trembling a little in recognition; she knew how angry the other was. "How dare you come back after-"

"Hanabi." The patriarch's voice was harsh and brittle, but there was no malevolence, only intolerance, in his voice. His attention turned to his other daughter instead. "Where were you this past week, Hinata?"

"W-week?" Her eyes finally fluttered open, long lashes and blank, though somewhat intrigued, expression on her face giving her a dazed appearance. She hummed a little to think up a response to her father's question. "I was just playing with Hanabi-chan before. S-She had a new toy. Lots of blood, plenty for her to play in. I'm a good sister, really 'Tousan." She smiled a genuine and blissfully quiet smile, with a tinge of sadness. "You still don't love me?"

There was silence. No voice escaped a single family member, only the whisper of grass blowing in the breeze and sandy dirt being shifted by the wind, mixed in with wisps of breath. Treachery was there too, permeated the air, represented by the child shaking from an odd mix of anger and nervousness.

Hinata shuddered, her body hunching over and hands clenching into fists before she abandoned the wall to topple to the side. Her body trembled, curling up instinctively as she quietly sobbed. She felt dizzy, weak, numb, and she wasted what little strength left in her desperation. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry," she murmured repeatedly to no one.

His gaze was drawn to the mark on her neck. A four pointed star, standing stark navy against her pale skin. "Tainted." Hiashi stared down, only a sliver of disgust, or maybe it was horror, marring that impassive mask. "He's tainted our blood. This place is no longer safe." He turned to the rest of the congregation, obviously fearful but masking it with solemnity. "We must go immediately. Lock her in her room. He's drawn to her."

Hesitantly, she was grabbed by her arms and legs, carried like a basket down the wooden hallways, now raised in chaos. Everyone was in a bustle, their voices hushed but still creating that horrible sound, like a waterfall made of incomprehensible words crashing on rocks of malice. Hinata could only stare vacantly at whatever crossed her path, clueless about what her reaction should be.

Voices quieted as she eventually was dropped on the wood floor and the door was shut. She shivered, slowly crawling towards her desk. She braced herself against it, sitting on her knees and lifting up the pen to scribble on the pad of paper that was aligned on her desk as usual. She wasn't quite sure what she should write, or what she was supposed to tell him. She couldn't differentiate plausible from wrong, but somehow the words filled the square of paper.

_I'll find you Neji_,

_Hinata_

Her body shuddered and quaked as she signed it, her messy handwriting a testament to that; she hunched over, almost crying out. The feeling wasn't painful, she just felt… disgustingly weak. That sensation, although not uncommon, felt even worse now than before. She slid to the floor, her muscles unable to find the energy to do any thing.

She could feel something touching her; she wasn't quite sure it was human, because there was no warm sensation to it. But at the same time, a tingly feeling washed over her entire body, slowly giving back her energy she so lacked moments before. Small particles brushed her face, and Hinata managed to crack her eyes open, to see herself swathed in sand.

She lifted her gaze, and met another's look. Those eyes stared back at her. Hinata hadn't forgotten about them. No, she had just hoped that they were something she had conjured up in dreams, like everything else that had happened recently. But how could she dream something that had such an entrancing effect on herself?

"Don't h-hurt me," she murmured, her voice low and strained from the task of mustering up enough energy to speak.

A small growl was her response, and she was yanked even closer to him. She felt his hot breath on her face, and vaguely realized that the sand around her limbs and body was bleeding away and gathering on the floor, but Hinata's body remained as unresponsive and heavy like lead as it was before.

"You're mine."

She felt his lips on hers, and automatically opened her mouth. She didn't know why, whether it was from surprise or resignation or pure instinct, but she did. She didn't fight back or join in the act, but there was still a small twinge of pleasure. His hands crawled down her body, and Hinata felt a palm support the back of her neck as he kissed her again. Midway through it, she felt his fingers crawl across her skin, and press down.

And she was taken to dreamland.

---

I apologize about the late update. No excuses, I'm just on and off FF.

Just to make sure: First, it's definitely AU. It's too OOC for it to be correlated with the series. Second, Neji is not reading this. Thirdly, Sasuke will not be thrown in until MUCH later on, so don't press me for that.

Yeah, my writing style's vague as one can get. But really try to understand it, because I can state reasons subtly in the chapters. I won't always give a reason for what happened, because if I did give it all, what would be the point of reading this? If a majority of people are confused, I'll go back and edit.

OR MY BETA WILL BITE ME. :D Yay, I've got a Beta! It's Little Miss CeeCee. I was such a bitch and didn't originally stick this in. So I came and edited it back in! Thank you!


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